Thought #1

The Cleveland Cavaliers are like an amusement park with only one great ride, a couple of carousel like little kid rides, and a bunch of those money sucking games where you try to complete some impossible task, ie ring on the bottle, to win a inflatable Dora the Explorer doll.

Now, don't get me wrong, that one ride is awesome! It's the newest and perhaps greatest ride in the history of parks, but if you go to that park on a day when it's not working or is just slowed down for some reason, it will ruin the whole experience. If that great ride isn't a part of the park on that day now matter how many times you hit the tea-cups or how many inflatable Atlanta Braves baseball bats you win, you trip will not be successful or enjoyable.

That's Cleveland right now. LeBron James is awesome and when he's running at full strength that trip to the Quicken Loans park-o-thrills will rarely let you down. If he's on an off day though, if he's getting a little maintenance done or is slowed down for the afternoon, the rest of those rides and games the Cavs have around him will never be able to make up for his absence. Nobody is coming to that park just to play the Mo Williams whack-a-mole game or ride the Delonte West giant swings. It just isn't going to cut it and will always disappoint.

You buy a ticket to this part and your whole day is riding on the hope that the King James express is running at full steam. Otherwise you're in for a long day of missing those tricky three point shots and earning an awkward tan line.

Thought #2

The Celtics are on the other side of this equation. They are the older park, not so new or flashy, but with about 4 or 5 solid rides and a couple newer ones gaining popularity.

You go to that park and if the Paul Pierce coaster of death is off the rails for the day, no sweat, you can just hit up the KG drop zone, or the Jesus Shuttlesworth tilt-a-whirl. You might even venture over to one of the newer rides; Rondo's wild raft adventure, where you can take a joy ride down some cascading Kentucky falls or take part in one of the hourly Big Baby Glen Davis pie eating contests.

The Celtics park has the flexibility to have one, maybe even two of their big name rides not working at full strength and still provide you with a successful day of entertainment.

Thought #3

Last night the King James Express was definitely derailed and even worse, it looked like the King had no desire to get things up and running. He looked like the 20-year-old crew mechanic standing beside the broken down coaster, (ie out on the wing) smoking a cigarette, and  far more interested in checking out teenage girls than fixing the ride.

With the great ride brought to a halt there was nothing for Cleveland park goers to do other than stand around and play that Shaq-Fu watergun game, knowing good and well even if they win that giant stuffed Sponge Bob it wasn't going to be enough to claim a victory for the day.